Report: Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s opt-outs tied to elbow health

NEW YORK – Yoshinobu Yamamoto will have two opportunities to opt out of his record $325 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, although the timing will be tied to the health of his pitching elbow.

If Yamamoto undergoes Tommy John surgery or is on the injured list for a right elbow injury for 134 consecutive service days from 2024-29, he would be eligible to opt out after the 2031 and 2033 World Series, according to the terms of the agreement obtained. by the Associated Press on Tuesday.

If he avoids Tommy John surgery and doesn't miss significant time with an elbow issue during this window, he can opt out after the 2029 and 2031 World Series.

In the first scenario, the Dodgers would get a conditional $10 million option for 2036 with no buyout.

Yamamoto does not have the right to block trades but could opt out of the contract after the end of any season in which he is traded.

Los Angeles announced the deal two weeks after signing two-way star Shohei Ohtani to a record $700 million, 10-year contract.

Yamamoto has salaries of $5 million this year, $10 million in 2025 and $12 million in 2026, according to the deal announced Dec. 27. He will receive $26 million each in 2027, 2028 and 2029, $29 million for each of the following two seasons and $28 million from 2032-35.

As part of the billboard agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, the Dodgers will pay a billing fee of $50,625,000 to the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League, bringing Yamamoto's acquisition cost just over $375 million. Yamamoto will receive $20 million of his $50 million signing bonus by February 1 and the rest by July 1.

If he is traded after a World Series, he would be eligible to opt out during the following offseason.

His contract includes a full-time interpreter, personal trainer and physiotherapist. Yamamoto gets a hotel suite on his road trips and five round-trip plane tickets every year.

He cannot be assigned to the minor leagues without his consent.

Yamamoto's contract is $1 million more than Gerrit Cole's nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees from 2020 to 2028. It is the longest contract for a pitcher , surpassing Wayne Garland's $2.3 million over 10 years with Cleveland in November 1976 as part of the first free agent class.

Ultimately, the Dodgers made the biggest splurge a team has ever made with a pitcher (at least one who isn't also a 40-homer hitter, like Yamamoto's new teammate Shohei Ohtani). They did this for a 5-foot-10, 176-pound 25-year-old right-hander who has never pitched an inning in the major leagues.

The Yankees offered a 10-year, $300 million contract but would not last longer, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the offers have not been announced publicly.

Los Angeles was baseball's biggest spender this offseason, committing $1,212,187,500 to Ohtani, Yamamoto and pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who agreed to a five-year, $136,562,500 contract as part of his trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Yamamoto was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA last season, with 169 strikeouts and 28 walks in 164 innings. He was 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA in seven seasons with the Buffaloes. Yamamoto hit a Japan Series record 14 in a Game 6 win over Hanshin on November 5, throwing a complete game 138 pitches. Orix then lost the seventh game.

Yamamoto pitched his second career no-hitter, the 100th in Japanese big league history, on September 9 for the Buffaloes against the Chiba Lotte Marines. Yamamoto, a two-time Pacific League MVP, also pitched a no-hitter against the Saitama Seibu Lions on June 18 last year.

Under the MLB-NPB agreement, the posting fee will be 20 percent of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be an additional 15% fee on bonuses earned, salary increases and options exercised.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.